How to Pack for a Business Trip Like a Boss

Jetsetting may sound like a glamorous extension of your demanding job but anyone who’s flown across time zones and gone straight into the office sans shower or had to wander around a hotel lobby in pajama bottoms desperately looking for a reliable connection mid-call knows it can be a little less so.
The thing is, prep is always the key to success but when you’ve got limited space (and time) but how do you know what’s at the top of your business trip to-pack list?

Here are a few ways to ensure you’re packing like a boss for a business trip.

Pack light

We’re not talking about leaving a few extra pairs of socks behind (although while we’re on the subject, over-sock packers: you do know most destinations sell socks, right?), we’re suggesting that you start with the heaviest of your haul: your tech.

Kill two birds with one stone with a laptop that’s both light and definitely worth toting, like the ASUS Transformer 3 Pro. It’s tablet-sized but laptop equipped, while managing to be lighting fast (Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of high-speed RAM and 512GB SSD, thank you very much) and still come in under 800g. Don’t forget the a detachable keyboard, adjustable kickstand and convertible 12.6in screen, which makes it perfect for inflight working and adaptability – which is pretty important when you have no idea where your next video conference might take place (ahem, hotel bar).

Take a soft carry on rather than hard suitcase

If you’re a business boss who spends quite a bit of time in the air, you’re a little less tolerant of having to grapple with starry-eyed tourists sauntering down tarmacs or blocking aisles with their holiday haul. In which case, we’re betting that one thing that would really tip you over the edge would be a friendly flight attendant informing you that due to lack of space, some bags will have to be checked and one of those bags will be yours (insert anger tsunami).
Insiders say that packing a soft carry on as opposed to a hard case is the best way to avoid being the unlucky one called out to put your bag under the plane, saving you a good hour of waiting for it to appear on the carousel.

Don’t pack colours

When it comes to what you actually put in the bag, it’s time to be smart. Neutral colours are your best friend – black, grey and navy as we know, goes with everything. Florals and loud prints do not. For a business trip, there’s no point in packing something that – to use Marie Kondo’s words – brings you joy: you’ll be less overjoyed at having to haul, unpack, repack and lament your attempt at injecting ‘personality’ into your trip.

Consider your fabric

Further to the packing end, consider the impact one fabric over another can have on your haul. Merino wool, for example, is a fibre that naturally insulates while also being anti-microbial, which means you’re likely to get that extra wear out of it. Be smart about the fabrics you pack and you’ll have less things to try and squeeze in.

Up your packing skills

Frequent travellers know there’s a rule of thumb for this and you’d do very well to observe it. Backpacks should be packed with the heaviest things in the mid back, close to your spine and lighter things at the bottom and top of the pack, reducing impact on the lower back and shoulders. For wheeled suitcases, it’s the opposite – put the heaviest things towards the bottom of the suitcase (consider how it stands upright) and the lightest at the top, so nothing gets crushed)